Jimmy Fallon

Comedian Jimmy Fallon is known for stints on NBC's Saturday Night Live and as the host of both Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

A cast member of SNL since 1998, Fallon is a classic for his impressions of John Lennon, Howard Stern, Adam Sandler, and the ever so popular Mick Jagger. When he's not starring opposite SNL head writer/player Tina Fey on the "Weekend Update," he's making people laugh as the online stoner/college kid Jarrett of "Jarrett's Room," and as the cynical "Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy." The world didn't fall at Fallon's feet , however. He had to earn it.

Born in Brooklyn on September 19, 1974, Fallon's family moved to Saugerties before he was two. By his early teens, he was impressing his parents with various impersonations, particularly James Cagney. Music, too, proved to be a creative outlet during adolescence. He picked up a Fender guitar at age 13 and never looked back. Luckily for him, he'd go on to mix music and comedy. He participated in various contests and comedy shows, but his comedy seriously started taking shape upon his entrance to College of St. Rose in Albany in 1992. During his senior year, Fallon received the call he'd been waiting for all of his young life: a talent manager was impressed with his work and wanted to meet him. He was just a semester short of graduating when Fallon informed his parents that he was leaving for a life in Los Angeles. For the next two years, Fallon trekked his way through countless comedy showcases. Thanks to an uncanny impression of Adam Sandler during an audition for SNL, Fallon's celebrity fate was pretty much sealed.

In summer 2002, Fallon had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's rock film Almost Famous and appeared in Tom Hanks' HBO war drama Band of Brothers. He went on to host the 2001 MTV Movie Awards and 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. In summer 2002, Fallon put his loose musical skills to the test for an album of songs and sketches. The Bathroom Wall was issued on DreamWorks in August and included the soul spoof of "Idiot Boyfriend." He left SNL in 2004 and began pursuing a film career, which included the successful 2005 romantic comedy Fever Pitch co-starring Drew Barrymore. In 2009, he succeeded David Letterman and Conan O'Brien as the third host of the Late Night talk-show franchise. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon quickly earned a loyal following thanks in part to the show's enthusiastic embrace of music. The Roots were Fallon's house band, groups like the Specials and Jawbox reunited on the show, and artists like the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen took over full episodes. Besides that, there were the host's own musical moments, including a "Slow Jam the News" performance with President Barack Obama and the viral hit "Tebowie," Fallon's combination of NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and glam-era David Bowie. These tracks were collected, along with some new numbers like "My Upstairs Neighbors Are Having Sex (And Listening to the Black Eyed Peas)," on Fallon's 2012 CD Blow Your Pants Off. A year later, NBC announced that Fallon would replace Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show in February of 2014. The Roots joined him as the Tonight Show house band, augmented by two members of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' horn section. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi